In large areas of Australia the only drinking water available for animals is that supplied by drinking troughs, and often this water is obtained from bores or water supply channels. Often this water while it is suitable for stock usage, does contain large amounts of dissolved salts and the like.
The supply of the water to the troughs is conventionally by polypropylene hose, this being laid underground and is desirable for the use due to the fact that it is corrosion free, and there is little or no tendency for a build up of scale and corrosion on the interior of these hoses.
Conventionally the polypropylene hose terminates at the bottom of the drinking trough, there being fitted by a suitable fitting to the end of the polypropylene house a galvanised iron pipe which acts as a riser up the end of the drinking trough and terminates at its upper end in an elbow to which is attached a conventional float operated valve, this all being protected by a cover.
However with much of the water which is available for use by stock as above indicated, there is a ready tendency for corrosion and corrosive build up of material within the galvanised pipes so that often after a period of only twelve months or so the flow is virtually restricted.
It is virtually essential that the riser pipe be a solid rigid pipe so that it is able to withstand the bumping and knocking and forces applied to it by the rubbing of animals on the pipe, which in effect precludes the use of extending the polypropylene hose up the end of the trough as a riser. Attempts have been made to extend the polypropylene hose, but as this is easily bent, deflected and moved, and also deteriorates under the action of the ultra-violet rays from the sun, problems have arisen due to breakage and leakage, and also misalignment of the float valve so that wastage of water occurs.
Australian Patent specifications NOSG 111993, 112768 and 418767 disclose various watering troughs having a water inlet pipe, this being of small diameter and due to the art at that time would be of galvanised piping. Similarly U.S. Pat. No. 3948221 does not disclose any details of the pipe to the trough, or the pipe to the control valve.
It is an object of this invention to provide an improved riser at the end of a watering trough which will overcome at least one or more of the above problems.